Whole Foods Coming to Southeast D.C.

Grocery Will Mark District's First Outside Northwest

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Architect's rendering of planned development at 800 New Jersey Ave. in the Southeast, which will include the District's first Whole Foods store outside the Northwest.

Whole Foods is building its fifth location inside the District -- but this will be the first outside the Northwest quadrant.

Whole Foods spokesperson Katie Malloy said the company plans to build the store at 800 New Jersey Ave. in the Southeast, a few blocks from the Navy Yard Metro station. Construction on the store, which features organic and healthy foods, will begin next year and should be completed by 2017.

While in Southeast, the store is not in Wards 7 or 8, which lack the same healthy food options as many of the city's other wards.

In July, Walmart threatened to stop its plans to build District stores, including two in Ward 7, as a "living wage" bill made its way to the mayor's desk. The mayor vetoed the bill.

The Whole Foods construction will be part of a $443 million real estate project that will also bring apartments and other retail projects to that area.

Real estate firm WC Smith is organizing the project's development.

WC Smith spokesperson Carol Chatham says the company, which put a Giant in Ward 8, is committed to bringing sustainable options to all District residents.

"We'd be thrilled to build another [Whole Foods] east of the river," she said.